Various electronic devices are mounted in an automobile as a movable object. The automobile has wire harnesses routed to transmit electric power, control signals, and the like to the electronic devices. The wire harness has a plurality of electric wires 100 (shown in FIG. 4) and a connector 101 (shown in FIG. 4, for example). The electric wire 100 is a so-called covered electric wire having an electrically conductive core wire and an electrically insulated covering portion for covering the core wire, as shown in FIG. 4.
The connector 101 illustrated in FIG. 4 has a terminal fitting 102, a connector housing 103, a rear holder 104, and a rear packing 105. The terminal fitting 102 is formed of an electrically conductive metal and is formed into a cylindrical shape whose outside diameter changes in steps. The terminal fitting 102 integrally has a cylindrical wire connecting portion 106 to which the core wire of the aforementioned electric wire 100 is connected, as well as a cylindrical electrical contact portion 107 which is disposed coaxially with this wire connecting portion 106 and is electrically connected to a terminal fitting of a mating connector.
As the core wire of the electric wire 100 is inserted into the interior of the wire connecting portion 106 and is plastically deformed such that the inside and outside diameters of the wire connecting portion 106 are reduced, the electric wire 100 is fitted with its core wire crimped. The electric contact portion 107 is elastically deformable such that its inside and outside diameters are freely enlarged and reduced. As the terminal fitting of the mating connector is inserted into the interior of the electric contact portion 107, the electric contact portion 107 is electrically connected to the terminal fitting of the mating connector.
The connector housing 103 is formed of an electrically insulated synthetic resin and is formed into a box shape. A terminal accommodating chamber 108 for accommodating the aforementioned terminal fitting 102 is provided in the connector housing 103. A retaining projection 109, which projects from an inner surface of that terminal accommodating chamber 108 so as to retain an outer surface of the aforementioned terminal fitting 102, is provided in the terminal accommodating chamber 108. As the retaining projection 109 retains an outer peripheral surface of the terminal fitting 102, the connector housing 103 accommodates that terminal fitting 102 inside the terminal accommodating chamber 108. In addition, the connector housing 103 is fitted to a connector housing of the mating connector.
The rear holder 104 is formed of an electrically insulated synthetic resin and is formed into a cylindrical shape. The rear holder 104 is fitted at an end portion, on a side away from the connector housing of the mating connector, of the connector housing 103. A through hole 110 for allowing the electric wire 100 fitted to the terminal fitting 102 to be passed therethrough is provided in the rear holder 104.
The rear packing 105 is formed of an elastically deformable synthetic resin such as an elastomer. The rear packing 105 is formed into an annular shape. The rear packing 105 with the aforementioned electric wire 100 passed therethrough is inserted into the aforementioned terminal accommodating chamber 108. When the rear packing 105 with the electric wire 100 passed therethrough is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 108, the rear packing 105 undergoes elastic deformation and keeps watertight the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 100 and the inner surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 108.
In addition, in the above-described connector 101, a shrinkable tube 111 is closely fitted over outer peripheries of the wire connecting portion 106 of the aforementioned terminal fitting 102 and the terminal of the electric wire 100, thereby preventing ingress of a liquid such as water into the core wire of the electric wire 100.
Since the above-described connector 101 is provided with the retaining projection 109 to prevent the terminal fitting 102 from coming off the interior of the terminal accommodating chamber 108, in the event that the retention of that retaining projection 109 is canceled, the terminal fitting 102 easily moves inside the terminal accommodating chamber 108, so that that terminal fitting 102 becomes difficult to be connected to the terminal fitting of the mating connector. Furthermore, with the above-described connector 101, since the shrinkable tube 111 covers the outer sides of the wire connecting portion 106 of the terminal fitting 102 and the terminal of the electric wire 100, the time and trouble involved in the assembly increase, so that the manhour required for the assembly has tended to increase.